THE iDOLM@STER (Xbox 360)

THE iDOLM@STER (Xbox 360)
Video Game Data
Platform: Xbox 360 Publisher: Namco Bandai Games Inc. Developer: Namco Bandai Games Inc. Selling Agency: Namco Bandai Games Inc. Release Date: January 25, 2007 (Limited Edition) November 1, 2007 (Platinum Collection) March 12, 2009 (Twins) August 11, 2009 (Games on Demand) CERO Rating: C (target over the age of 15)

THE iDOLM@STER (アイドルマスター, Aidorumasutaa) is a reissue of the 2005 arcade game and is a console music rhythm game and life simulation game for the Xbox 360. Being the second installment in THE iDOLM@STER franchise, it was released in Japan on January 25, 2007, and was published by Namco Bandai Games Inc. (later known as Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. since 2015) under the Namco brand. The game was also developed by the in-house Namco studio instead of Metro unlike the arcade game.

The game follows the career of a producer who works for the fictional 765 Production studio and has to work with a selection of ten prospective pop Japanese idols.

Gameplay

The Xbox 360 game tasks the player into the role of a producer who raises an idol from obscurity to stardom. Lessons, like the original arcade game, allow idols to have their statistics raised. During Auditions, players can compete their idol troupes against each other if they are connected to Xbox Live. They may also check leaderboards to see how they compare to different producers.

List of changes

There are a number of changes between the original arcade and Xbox 360 game.

• The player's Xbox Gamer Tag is used to keep track of idol data, while a memory unit or the hard drive of the Xbox 360 is used to save game data, such as replays, pictures, costumes, and accessories, in contrast to the arcade game, which uses a Producer Card and an Idol Card to keep track of a producer's data.
• The time limit for menus has been removed. Instead, the player now has unlimited time to select songs and/or costumes.
• The character models were remade from scratch, raising the polygon count and texture resolution to allow more detailed models than those of the arcade version.
• Miki Hoshii has been added as a playable character in the game.
• The game features additional content such as six new songs, as well as downloadable content in the form of additional costumes and Idol Dramas.

Gameplay changes

Several gameplay elements have been changed for the game:

• Messages from idols are received in game after certain events instead of being sent to the player's real life cellphone.
• Lessons have been reworked and now make use of the Xbox 360 controller to compensate the lack of a touch screen interface. Communications, however, remain entirely untouched.
• There is no longer a time limit within which you must raise your Idol Rank to prevent the retirement concert. A set time limit of 52 in-game weeks is presented in its place before your idol's contract expires.

Characters

Haruka Amami Image Stats Profile Image Image Song Dance 5 Visual 13 Vocal 19 Character 19 Character Biography I love making sweets and going to karaoke☆ But really, instead of karaoke I would like to stand on stage and sing. I'll promise to do my best when practicing, so we can aim for top idol!!	Chihaya Kisaragi Image Stats Profile Image Image Song Dance 21 Visual 19 Vocal 37 Character 1 Character Biography I'd like your cooperation in making me a professional vocalist, that's the reason why I'd like to aim for top idol.	Yukiho Hagiwara Image Stats Profile Image Image Song Dance 1 Visual 15 Vocal 7 Character 27 Character Biography U-Um... I... I want to change myself! P-please take care of my production.
Yayoi Takatsuki Image Stats Profile Image Image Song Dance 11 Visual 7 Vocal 5 Character 27 Character Biography ALWAYS 200% ENERGETIC!! The root of all energy is of course to eat a healthy breakfast! You'll be even more healthier eating more every passing day! I'll aim towards the top as the most energetic and powerful idol!	Ritsuko Akizuki Image Stats Profile Image Image Song Dance 23 Visual 21 Vocal 25 Character 3 Character Biography To all staff and members reading this resumé: To be a successful idol, what do you think it takes? Looks? Your skill in singing? Yes, those traits are indeed very important to be an idol, but I believe Knowledge is important as well. Yes, Knowledge. Working together, I'd like to see what kind of Knowledge you have.	Azusa Miura Image Stats Profile Image Image Song Dance 5 Visual 21 Vocal 15 Character 17 Character Biography I may be a little too old for idol than the other girls in the production, but I've lived my life slowly with my pace, so I'd like to work hard in the same way. Producer-san, will you lend me your strength?
Iori Minase Image Stats Profile Image Image Song Dance 19 Visual 33 Vocal 21 Character 1 Character Biography Treat Iori as cute and 'Princess-like' and you won't have any problems with me. This is a once in a lifetime chance to produce such a cute idol as me, don't let it slip away!	Makoto Kikuchi Image Stats Profile Image Image Song Dance 19 Visual 13 Vocal 11 Character 17 Character Biography For some reason a lot of girls admire me. It's probably because of I'm good at sports and for my looks, but deep down I'm a girl, too! I want to become an idol and have guys understand my ability.	Ami/Mami Futami Image Stats Profile Image Image Song Dance 13 Visual 7 Vocal 1 Character 27 Character Biography We like to do fun things like sending text messages and play games, oh, and also imitate other people! If we become a super-cool-awesome idol, then everyday will be relaxing right? That's why we're going for top idol! If you choose us, we promise to be good. Right, Mami?
Miki Hoshii Image Stats Profile Image Image Song Dance ?? Visual ?? Vocal ?? Character ?? Character Biography Miki's athletic ability is on the good side, and people often compliment Miki, saying that Miki has a 'good style'. Miki's the type that can get anything done without even trying, and besides, Miki never puts any effort into anything. So let's just relax and aim for top idol... Afu...	765 Production Staff Kotori Otonashi Junichirou Takagi Producer

Songs

Returning Songs
New Songs

Development

Following the success of the arcade game, Namco went on to develop its Xbox 360 port starting in early 2006, though a port of the game had been discussed as early as May 2005. Namco producer Youzou Sakagami was initially unsure if THE iDOLM@STER would be suited for a video game console due to hardware and network limitations, but he felt that the Xbox 360 and its Xbox Live network could handle the game's specifications. This would also allow the developers to improve the game's quality and attract attention from those who never played the arcade game. Many people who were interested in the arcade game but never played it would tell Sakagami that this was either because their local arcade did not have THE iDOLM@STER, or because they were embarrassed to play it in public. According to Sakagami, to the development team of the port, there was a large significance in correcting these issues. Their other focus was on allowing players to comfortably play the game and enjoy its various scenarios without the rushed gameplay found in the arcade version. When developing the Xbox 360 port of THE iDOLM@STER, the characters had to be entirely redone, including the motion capture, which used the same actors as before. Further details were able to be added to the character designs because of the Xbox 360's improved, high-definition hardware.

Pre-release and unused content

In early screenshots, an updated online icon from the arcade version is shown on the bottom-left corner of the screen, which was removed in later builds and the final game. According to Hiroyuki Onoda, they felt having an online icon wasn't necessary to keep, so it was scrapped from the final version.

Weekly THE iDOLM@STER Magazine

Published by SoftBank Creative, this magazine style publication was a four-volume series of character fan books promoting the Xbox 360 version of THE iDOLM@STER. They were released from January 26, 2007 to February 16, 2007 and promoted different idols per volume. Volume 1 focused on Haruka Amami, Ritsuko Akizuki, and Yukiho Hagiwara, Volume 2 showed Chihaya Kisaragi, Ami and Mami Futami, and Azusa Miura, Volume 3 previewed Makoto Kikuchi, Iori Minase, and Yayoi Takatsuki, and Volume 4 gave details about the recently debuted idol Miki Hoshii and featured many staff interviews.

Weekly THE iDOLM@STER Magazine Volume 1

Weekly THE iDOLM@STER Magazine Volume 2

Weekly THE iDOLM@STER Magazine Volume 3

Weekly THE iDOLM@STER Magazine Volume 4

Reception

THE iDOLM@STER has been credited with making Japan's ratio of Xbox Live sign-ups to the number consoles sold the highest in the world. Over four times as many Microsoft points were sold on the date of THE iDOLM@STER 360 release as on the date before it.

For a limited time, themes and gamerpics were available from the North American Xbox Live Marketplace, but have since then been removed. Despite this, iDOLM@STER-related content has still managed to find its way into the Western releases of varying game media.

Links

• Official Website
• THE IDOLM@STER 360 Interview
• A Japanese-English website with translated communication events